Ghosttthead

Alex came to Tokyo for one of his work visits. He joined us one day to draw the city and we thought he couldn’t be left out of this issue. Of course you don’t need to live in the city in order to draw it, and he did a great job in capturing the essence of it.

MC: What is your relationship to Tokyo?

G: I travel more or less once a year to Tokyo for work. I always try to stay a couple of days to enjoy the city. I love Tokyo. I think it’s one of my favorite places in the world. I hope I can one day live in Japan for a few years.

MC: When and why did you start drawing the city?

G: I always have a sketchbook with me and Tokyo has a lot of things to draw. Since the first time I came, I naturally started to draw the city.

MC: Do you draw professionally?

G: I work as a fashion/graphic designer, so I don’t draw a lot at work. Most of the time, I draw on the bus, at a coffee table, or late night at home. The fact that I use a computer eight hours per day makes me flee away the screens, so most of my drawings are 100% made on paper.

MC: Are there any recurring subjects in your Tokyo drawings?

G: I like the small streets, the details of the walls. Drawing the cable lines is a cliché, but it’s really relaxing to draw them. I also like to draw the vending machines. They are full of secrets.

MC: Tell us about the place that you have selected.

G: I moved to another hotel placed in a more residential area near Shibuya. I lost myself in the small streets and started to draw what I was seeing every day.

MC: Do you have any other special places in Tokyo?

G: I like to go to eat fish in the restaurant Kaikaya. And I like to cross the Yoyogi Park. But I still have a lot of places to discover.

MC: Do you have any references for your work or anyone whose work you particularly admire?

G: I’m really a drawing enthusiast so I like a lot of artists. I will say the first three names that pop in my head: Matthew Houston, Helge Reumann, and Blutch.